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Thursday, September 27, 2012

The Punk Ethic by Timothy Decker

Timothy Decker's illustrated novel The Punk Ethic
explores the power of music in the lives of seemingly disaffected
youth. Guitar-playing protagonist Martin is struggling to find a reason
to succeed in a world that appears all too happy to let him disappear.
Financially, life is a constant struggle in his single-parent
household, and his friends are a collection of likable if somewhat
annoying idiots who have no clue what their futures will hold. He is in
love with an impossible Dreamgirl (shades of Some Kind of Wonderful)
and, inspired by a class assignment, has a wild desire to change the
world, but little ability to do so. What he needs is a plan, a plan so
big that it will make his life the sort of wild and dramatic life he
has been afraid to imagine. In one month it all comes together, in the
sort of ridiculous fashion one would expect for teenagers, but the
story remains hopeful and stays true to its cool music roots at the
same time. There is nothing saccharine or sparkly about The Punk Ethic
(perish the thought) and the text is in fact peppered with the sort of
wry observations that any high schooler would appreciate: "If the
federal government really wants to change public schools and ensure
that no kid gets left behind, they should close the cafeteria and call
it a threat to public health." Or consider this look at the opposite
sex:

"Goth girls live in a dream world, all operatic nonsense and
crappy literary allusions... It's complete bullshit. That's why they go
to college, wash off the makeup, and become GOP lobbyists. At least
punk girls are honest."

Decker takes Martin along on a journey that sees him realizing the
punk ethic of "do what you can with what you have," and tosses in more
than a few significant moments about book learning versus the real
world (both of which are to be valued) and why high school matters (for
many reasons other than what you think). The illustrations and
surprisingly intense ending all lift The Punk Ethic to a level
of appreciation that makes it a memorable read. Don't let this quiet
beauty pass you by; Decker has a story to tell worth reading and
Martin, quietly depicted in so many black and white drawings, is a
character to hold dear.